


The Memories We Make

by TheHufflePug



Category: Batman - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-08
Updated: 2019-04-09
Packaged: 2020-01-06 17:13:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18392783
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheHufflePug/pseuds/TheHufflePug
Summary: An ongoing series of one shots detailing the ups and downs of the Batfam. Fluff, angst, all sorts of short stories, sometimes featuring villains and sometimes just regular family fun.Chapter Update: Bruce has a meeting and leaves his batkids alone with Alfred on a snow day... what could go wrong?Chapter Rating: T (Language)





	1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Henlo friends. This is the first installment of a series of one-shots (or more depending on the story) revolving around the Batfam! Ages/circumstances/themes may change up depending on the mood, meaning it could be light-hearted and fun or angsty and dark.**

**I hope you all enjoy this first one-shot featuring Tim Drake and Jason Todd's first encounter**

* * *

  **Wayne Manor, Gotham City**

**Present Day, 1:27 AM**

* * *

 

The gentle patter of rain against the large, dark windows of the manor and the ticking of a clock echoing throughout the long hall was the only noise reaching Tim's ears as he stepped along the carpeted corridor. He was awoken by the sound of the thunder, which wasn't really a surprise to him. They all had their fears and triggers that kept them up at night, one of Tim's just happened to be thunder. It reminded him of the many bullets he and his family had dodged... or hadn't.

His gentle tiffany blue eyes trailed along the towering glass panes that lined the hallway. He paused and stepped over toward one of them, his footsteps muffled by the fuzzy blue socks he had pulled over his feet to help keep him warm. However a chill still managed to get through to him, causing him to give a small shudder and wrap his arms around himself tightly. The young Wayne tilted his head as he stared out over the Wayne property, the raindrops that slowly slid down the glass, reminded him of tears. He felt the sudden urge to reach his hand out and gently press it against the cold glass. The windows themselves looked to be crying, and he wanted desperately to fix it.

Sympathizing with a piece of glass... how ridiculous was that?

A small sigh escaped him as his hand slowly slid down the glass with the raindrops before returning back to his side, his gaze never leaving the dark garden just outside the window. The various shrub animals were always so appealing to him when he first saw them. They really brightened up the old gothic manor, it reminded him of a circus or a zoo. When he had first arrived in front of the manor, his imagination told him that a vampire resided in the manor, or at least something dark. But those stupid shrubs reassured him that perhaps, maybe it was a little normal. Anyone with bushes in the shapes of animals, perhaps not completely normal, couldn't be that bad.

Now, against the dark sky and faintly illuminated by the city lights, they looked like the ominous silhouettes of monsters. Elongated faces with fangs, distorted bodies twisted in odd angles, hunched figures positioned just under the two story window, looking ready to leap up and shatter the weeping glass at any moment. It didn't help that Damian had decapitated most of them a few days ago during training. Alfred had thrown a rather composed fit and did his best to make the shrubbery normal again after the brat's vicious attack, but clearly to no avail. Now they just looked... scary.

Tim scoffed quietly to himself, he was seventeen years old, he couldn't get scared by a bush. The scoff had ended in an unexpected choked whimper when lightning flashed across the sky, briefly illuminating the darkened animals. Alright yeah, sure, it was weird and creepy and he hated stupid Damian for cutting up the stupid giraffe that looked like a stupid, headless creature of the night. But the way the lightning lit up the shrub menagerie, it cast an eerie shadow.

And then the unexpected delayed thunder that sure enough followed the lightning, exploded in the sky, so loud and so powerful it briefly shook the manor. The only thing about it Tim was grateful for was that it covered up his terrified yelp. He scrambled away from the window and took a deep, ragged breath as a memory flashed before his eyes. A memory he had shoved deep down and tried to forget because it didn't mean anything now, not really.

But it wouldn't leave him alone. It was the real reason for his hatred of the thunder that sounded far too similar to gunshots bouncing off the tallest buildings in Gotham. He couldn't keep the memory away no matter how hard he may have tried and would continue to try.

The memory of the Red Hood.

* * *

**Gotham City**

**Three Years Ago, 12:34 AM**

* * *

 

"Robin, come in." The gruff voice Bruce reserved for the Batman rang out from the comm in his ear. Tim, dressed in his Robin uniform, was perched on a ledge high above the streets of Gotham, glancing down at the cars that, at that height, seemed to crawl along the road like little ants. He perked up and put a finger to his ear, still getting used to the feeling of the comm.

"Here." Tim responded quietly and in his own serious voice. There was a brief pause and for a moment, Tim was a little frightened. True, Robin was supposed to be Batman's light, but he was still adjusting to that whole bit of it. He had always been quiet, serious, focused. And he still had plenty to prove to Bruce before he would allow himself to start being a goof or a slacker. Maybe he was being a bit too serious though..

"I want you to stay put and keep a look out. Catwoman's headed for the museum again and I'll need some time to handle it." Bruce- Batman rather, explained.

Tim perked up at that and narrowed his eyes behind the mask, his gaze scanning the streets below for any sign of the illusive woman.

"Where was she last spotted? Maybe I can track her." He immediately cringed at the sudden enthusiasm in his voice. He hadn't meant to sound that eager and excited.

"No." Came the Bat's firm response.

Confusion seeped into the boy's mind as he crouched lower on the ledge, tilting his head.

"Why not? She's tricky and with her history, it could be-"

"No." Batman snapped over the comm, silencing the young teen immediately. Tim gave a small frown, instinctively scrunching up his shoulders at the curt response. He quietly wondered if his Robin predecessors had to deal with the same treatment when they first started out, or if they had somehow gained the trust and respect of the Bat immediately. However when Bruce spoke again, his voice was softer, but still carried the coldness of Batman.

"You're not ready for her, she can get in your head." he explained. Over the comm, Tim could hear Batman firing off a grappling hook, and the faint sound of rushing air He was already on his way. "Besides, she's not the only criminal in Gotham. I need you available in case anything else comes up."

Even if it did, would you make me stay put then, too? Tim bit back the snarky response and silently nodded his head.

"Will do... staying put then... to keep watch..." He couldn't stifle the small sigh that escaped him as he remained perched on the ledge, taking out a pair of binoculars from his belt and peering through them to get a closer view on the street.

"I'll be back there soon." And with that, communication between himself and the Bat ended. Tim felt his shoulders lower slightly. He hadn't realized how tense he'd been during the whole conversation, and frankly he didn't even know why he was. He was no stranger to Batman and Bruce Wayne's dismissive tendencies, but the thing that really bothered him was if it was just the way Bruce was or if it was... him. If there was something about him that Bruce didn't like.

Sure, Tim had followed Bruce and Dick Grayson's time as the Dynamic Duo until it ended, and even when he replaced Dick with Jason Todd, he knew. He had invaded on his privacy so to speak, on business that wasn't his. But he did it for Bruce's own good. For the good of Gotham itself. Batman was out of control after Jason's alleged death, the darkness and guilt was consuming him. He needed a Robin or else Batman would cease to exist and something else, something far worse would take his place. He had done everything to help, to do the right thing and yet he felt like Bruce resented him for it.

Tim's face fell as he lowered the binoculars, getting tangled up in his own web of self-conscious thoughts. He did do the right thing. Truthfully, he probably just wasn't quite adjusted to Bruce's temperament yet. That was the most probable answer.

Focus, Drake. Not the time to overthink.

He closed his eyes for a moment, composing himself before letting out a quiet sigh and opening them again in time for a raindrop to plop onto his nose. Tim gave a startled blink and glanced up at the sky, taking note of the dark, swirling clouds beginning to form above the city. He felt the weight of his cloak shift as the wind swept it up briefly, shrinking away from the ledge briefly until the sudden cold breeze died down. He found himself stepping off the ledge and onto the rooftop so he could peer over it rather than be sitting on it. Rain shouldn't really be a big deal, especially to Batman, but Tim was nervous to say the least. He still wasn't necessarily the most graceful person in the world when it came to leaping buildings and fighting villains, and rain making the rooftops and sidewalks slick probably wouldn't help.

He peered over the side of the ledge briefly, giving a quiet gulp as the sudden thought of slipping and plummeting to the pavement below briefly flickered across his mind. The idea was quickly shoved from his mind when he noticed a flash of red down below, finding his gaze drawn to a figure standing outside a store. Tim still remained behind the ledge, giving a curious tilt of his head as he reached for the binoculars at his belt once more. His gaze remained locked on the figure below as he brought the binoculars to his masked eyes, focusing on the curious shadow.

The figure had the build of a man, on the muscular side, but probably young based on his body shape. He also appeared to be quite tall, not enormous, but significantly taller than Tim himself. The curious thing, the young detective noted, was his clothing. A blood-red helmet of sorts and a dark brown leather jacket with some sort of dark shirt underneath. There appeared to be a matching red insignia on his chest, but Tim couldn't quite make out what it was. What Tim could see however, were the obvious shapes of quite a few weapons under the jacket and at his belt. That wasn't a good sign.

Out of pure instinct, Tim moved to lean forward on the ledge slightly, his finger moving to his ear.

"Batman."

"Emergency?" Tim was surprised at how quickly Batman answered, and the very subtle concern in his voice was evident to Tim.

"No, don't worry, just something.. uhm.. someone strange lingering down on the street."

"Armed?" There came the sounds of grunting and small explosions from the other end of the comm.

Tim paused, he had glanced back down at the street to the figure and froze. For a moment, it looked like that giant red helmet was staring right up at him. Realistically, that figure shouldn't be able to see much of anything from his position on the street and Tim's spot behind the ledge. Still, he allowed a small shiver and slowly brought the binoculars down again.

"Looks like it, but-"

"Can you describe them-" A gunt and the sudden clang of metal on metal from Batman's end forced the man to break off his sentence. "Do not engage unless you have to, Robin, do you understand? I'll be there when I can."

And then nothing again. Brief panic settled over the young teen before he took a deep breath and composed himself. Batman knew what he was doing. Then he frowned. It still bothered him how Bruce had insisted on handling Catwoman alone, but it sounded like he could do with some help. Maybe he'd just keep his eye on this red-helmet person and if Batman didn't get back to him soon he'd go help.

Tim slowly raised the binoculars again to check in, but as he did, felt his blood run cold. The street was now empty, the strange figure gone. His eyes narrowed in concern as he leaned forward slightly, scanning the street for any sign of him. There was no way any normal person could move that fast and get out of sight that easily, especially with a giant, bright red helmet. He slowly lowered the binoculars, clipping them back onto his belt as the image of the figure staring up at the building he was perched on flickered across his mind. Surely he hadn't actually seen him, that was highly unlikely.

But then the highly unlikely seemed a bit more likely when a bone-chilling voice spoke from the shadows, sending shivers down Tim's spine.

"Well, well, well.." The voice sounded almost mechanical, perhaps altered slightly, but it reminded Tim of a snake. "What's a little bird like you doing so far from the nest, huh?"

The young teen whipped around, taking a step back the damp ledge of the building cold against his back as he stared at the source of the voice. It was the man with the red helmet, the bright white glow of the eyes of the mask boring into him. He couldn't see his face, but Tim would've bet anything the man was grinning like the cheshire cat behind the helmet. It was now that Tim could get a closer look at this man, taking in every detail of him he could as quickly as possible.

He was red about the helmet, and the jacket, but the red insignia, he got a better look at that now. It looked like... a bat. Like Batman's logo, but a bright red and the wings more jagged looking. And then it dawned him. Tim slowly glanced up to stare right back into those chilling glowing eyes.

"...Jason Todd." His voice sounded pitifully small and childish compared to the deep, confident voice behind the mask.

There was a brief moment of silence before the man brought his hands up and applauded slowly, giving a sudden bark of laughter. Bruce had warned Tim. He had mentioned Jason briefly during their time in training, about how he was somehow brought back from death, but he wasn't himself. How he harbored vengeance, rage, and a specific resentment for the new Robin. He felt replaced, and Tim couldn't blame him.

"Well of course, you're the replacement... at least you've got a head on those scrawny shoulders, kid, otherwise I'd have lost a little faith in Brucie."

Tim couldn't help it as his shoulders scrunched up once again, his whole body stiffening in fear as he continued to stare. His lips twitched slightly into a nervous grimace as the man continued to give a few chuckles, stepping forward slightly as he rested a hand on something on his belt. Jason gave the new Robin a slow look over as he continued to approach, taking no mind to the teen's obvious discomfort.

"Tim, wasn't it? I have to say I am a little underwhelmed. I was kind of expecting a little more from Bruce, I mean can you even pick up a knife?" He laughed to himself again, before stopping just a few feet short of Tim, taking in his silent, rigid posture for a moment. The young teen hadn't expected Jason to know his identity. "But... if he picked you there must be a reason... and he must care about you... he kept you hidden from me for longer than I expected but now..."

There was a brief pause as the masked Jason Todd stared down at his replacement.

"Well now I get to have my fun." Tim perked up at the sound of a switchblade being flipped open and the glint of the city lights against the metal alerted him of the weapon.

He almost didn't have time to dodge the slash, almost, but he was able to force his feet to move at the last moment, narrowly missing Jason's first attack with the knife as he threw himself to the side and into a handspring, regaining his balance quickly while scrambling back.

"Hooo, you're pretty fast, aren't you?" The amusement in the young man's voice was clear as he advanced on Tim, forcing the teen to quickly back up and reach for the retractable bo staff at his belt. "You'll find I'm just as good at keeping up."

Jason moved to slash the knife downward toward Tim, but he flipped open the bo staff and brought it up just in time to block the knife, catching the man off guard. Jason let out a frustrated grunt as Tim swiftly pushed upward on the bo staff with enough force to send the man stumbling back slightly, not much, but just enough to allow Tim an opening to slip past him.

However, Jason reached forward and just barely snagged the end of Tim's cape, forcing a choked cry from the teen as he was dragged backward. The older man gave a hard yank on the cape, sending Tim tumbling backward and onto the ground, the bo staff slipping from his grasp and clanged loudly against the rooftop as it rolled just out of his reach. Before he even had a chance to recover, Jason was on him, while Tim frantically kicked upward, his knee colliding with Jason's stomach. The Hood only gave an irritated grunt before shoving Tim further against the ground and using his knees to pin Tim's arms while shifting his weight slightly to keep the rest of Tim's lower body from moving much.

The teen gave a pained huff as most of the air was forced from his lungs by Jason's weight, gasping quietly when the cold metal of the blade was pressed against his neck.

"Not too bad for a cheap replacement..." Jason's voice seemed notably more irritated than it was when he first began talking with the new Robin, any amusement there before was mostly gone.

Panic washed over Tim as he briefly tried to move, but Jason was significantly larger than him, keeping him in place was easy. But there was something that kept Tim from completely losing it. The way Jason had fought, the way he was talking to him, the way he kept the knife against his neck just enough to make a point, but not actually drawing any blood yet. He didn't want to kill him. Maybe he wanted to scare him, rough him up a little... maybe. But Tim wasn't willing to take that chance.

"Wh... Why? Why are you doing this?" Tim's words came out shakier than he had intended. He was scared and his voice betrayed him.

Jason tensed slightly, the knife shifting slightly so there was less pressure against the younger teen's neck. Tim had struck a chord.

"Why?" There was a sudden venom in his voice, or... as Tim believed anyway, pain. "Because the Batman never wanted me around. He never cared. I was just some fallback, a way for him to feel as if he still had his first son. Because when the Joker got to me, he didn't get there in time."

Tim's heart sank as the knife pressed down on his throat once more, but just for a moment. It seemed Jason had taken the bait. He was too wrapped up in his emotions to realize Tim's subtle reaching for the bo staff, just inches from his hand.

"But I thought, hey... maybe being dead would knock some sense into him. Maybe he'd realize just how much I cared about him and maybe he'd finally care back. My first thought when I came back was that he was looking for me, that he'd find me, or at the very least, avenge me..." He paused, the bitterness in his voice intensifying. "But no... I take a look at the news and see the Batman foiling the Joker's latest scheme, not putting him six feet under... but back in a jail cell.. with you..." This time Tim felt the pain of a shallow cut under the blade. "Right by his side..."

Tim felt his fingers brush over the bo staff, he was so close.

"A replacement..." And then Jason's voice lowered, almost getting softer as he got just a little closer to Tim. "And I thought... hey... I better go welcome the new kid... give him some advice..."

The staff rolled into his hand.

"Well, my advice?" The pressure from the knife eased up again slightly, but the pain in Jason's voice was more evident than before, unstable even. "You're better off dead than being the Bat's little bird."

 _Crack!_ Tim yanked his wrist out from under Jason's knee and gave him a hard whack over the head hard with the bo staff he'd managed to get back. As the staff connected with his head, the helmet flew off and skittered across the roof as the unsuspecting Jason gave a startled shout of pain and fell to the side, knocked off balance by the sudden blow. In the few brief moments Tim had, he rolled to his feet and scrambled toward the ledge, grabbing at the grappling hook under his cape. He stared over the ledge and into the black water of the Gotham harbor that was spread out behind the large building. He quickly put a finger to his ear.

"Bruce! I need your help." Tim was too panicked to realize the slip-up. "The man with the mask he's-"

 _Click_. The sound of a cocked gun behind Tim silenced him immediately.

"Uh, uh... turn around... now..." Jason's voice was more... vunerable... younger sounding than when he had the mask on. "The comm. On the ground."

Tim slowly turned, his eyes wide behind the mask as he stared first at Jason, who surprisingly had another mask on, then at the barrel of the gun trained on his uniform's yellow R. There was a moment of tense silence as the two stood there, staring at each other.

"Robin! Report. What's happening?" Batman's stern voice commanded an answer, and for a moment, Tim took a breath to respond, but Jason put a finger up then pointed to the ground, the gun still perfectly steady in his other hand.

"Now... Timmy.." Jason's voice was ice cold as Tim slowly reached up and took the comm from his ear. He then tossed it on the roof between the two, his hand still under his cape, wrapped around the grappling hook. Jason's face screwed up with rage as he picked up on Bruce's voice on the other end of the comm. He quickly aimed the gun downward and at the comm, shooting it without hesitation.

As he did, Tim whipped around, and after a frightened deep breath, leapt off the slick ledge. He aimed the grappling hook at the building across from them and fired, holding onto the tether for dear life. What he didn't expect was the second rope fired right beside his own. He glanced back, catching a glimpse of Jason in pursuit, following by using his own zip-line. Tim quickly reached for his belt, grabbing a bird-a-rang. He hesitantly aimed and with a pang of guilt, threw it at the line keeping Jason up. The gadget sliced the rope with a satisfying snap before plummeting into the water below. But much to Tim's terror Jason leapt at him using the last bit of momentum the zip-line was able to give him and with a strong grip, grasped onto Tim's ankles.

"Not gonna get rid of me that easily, kid!"

The sudden weight was enough to drag Tim downward, sending him scrambling to keep ahold of the rope as Jason pulled him down, but the feeling of the tether beneath his hands suddenly disappeared. With a quiet, horrified gasp he slipped from the rope, making a desperate, but futile attempt to grab it as he did. It was a brief moment of pure terror for Tim, but apparently exhilaration for Jason, who let out an icy laugh as the wind whipped past their ears. Tim finally forced himself to look downward, realizing their trajectory.

Right into the harbor.

In his few moments of composure, Tim screwed his eyes shut and took a deep breath, which proved to be useless as soon as he made contact with the freezing cold water.

For a moment, there was only black, he didn't feel the cold at first.

And then he did, a horrible stinging all over his body, the air forced out of his lungs which finally urged the rest of his body to move. He flailed his already numbing arms and legs, swimming frantically toward the surface of the water. He could see the sparkling city lights just above the surface, he was almost there.

And then something grabbed his ankle and dragged him downward.

Tim instinctively gave a startled shout, instantly regretting his decision as he watched the lost oxygen bubble to the surface. He looked down to see Jason gripping tightly onto his ankle. Tim tried swimming upward, twisting his ankle in an attempt to loosen Jason's grip, but to no avail. So he resorted to the only other option he had. With the last bit of strength he had, he kicked his foot down as hard as he could, his boot connecting hard with Jason's face. The man gave a muffled, agonized shout, his grip loosened enough for Tim to yank his ankle away and fight his way back to the surface.

Tim gasped deeply when he finally broke the surface of the water, frantically taking in as much oxygen as he could in that moment. The burning in his lungs ceased while his head began to throb, fully aware there wasn't any time to rest. He looked around quickly, spotting an embankment by the docks. It was land sure, but most of it was a muddy incline leading up to the dock, and since he didn't have his grappling hook, he'd have to climb up if he wanted to escape. As there was no other option, he quickly swam toward it, panic and instinct keeping him above water as the small waves threatened to pull him under again. But the sound of something breaking the surface behind him warned him that he wasn't safe yet.

He didn't want to look back. He didn't want to keep looking at Jason, someone he once looked up to. Someone in so much pain that he knew he couldn't help no matter what he tried.

Finally, Tim felt solid ground beneath his feet and scrambled up the embankment, mud already beginning to stain his uniform as he slipped continuously along the small incline, trying desperately to gain traction. He continued to gasp, the frigid water having drawn most of the air from him, while fear took the rest. It was like he wasn't breathing at all. And suddenly the loud voice called out from the water.

"I didn't really have much a personal problem with you before, kid!" Tim heard Jason pause, then a loud sniff. "But I don't see how you're getting away with that one.."

Against his better judgement, Tim spared a glance over his shoulder to see the frightening image of a furious Jason Todd standing at the water's edge, his jacket and shirt covered with mud as a mix of water and blood from his probably broken nose, courtesy of Tim himself, stained his face.

Tim's motivation to get away from that man had never been stronger.

He scrambled up the embankment as quickly as he could, giving a startled cry as he slid downward slightly, scrambling to keep his footing in the slick mud. Surely he was at least closer to the dock than Jason, one of the protruding planks was right there... right in his reach. He quickly reached a hand up, grasped the plank and started to pull, and then the familiar feeling of a strong hand wrapped around his ankle yet again. Big surprise.

Tim let out a frightened yelp as he was yanked downward, his gloved hand slipping from the plank. He felt himself collide with Jason, the two of them tumbling and sliding back down the muddy incline. Both were momentarily dazed, but Tim was the first to recover, scrambling to his feet and trying to quickly climb back up the incline.

"Not so fast, Timmy." Jason hissed, grasping Tim's cape once again and dragging him back down toward the water. Before Tim even realized what was happening, Jason gripped Tim by the shoulders, dropped down to his knees, dragging the teen with him before shoving his head beneath the frigid water.

Tim felt the air rush from his lungs once again, this time, however, he didn't cry out. He instead held his breath for as long as he could, before he felt Jason haul him back up above the surface. He gave a frantic gasp, taking in as much air as he could before he was submerged once more. He gripped onto Jason's wrists, pulling at his arms desperately as his lungs screamed for air. His vision soon became blurred and plagued by black splotches, lightheadedness beginning to steal away his awareness. And then he was yanked back upward again, this time, Tim slowly reached for the retractable bo staff on his belt, when he went back under, he grabbed it and positioned it as carefully as he could before clicking the small button on the side, activating it. The bo staff opened up and one end of it jabbed Jason hard in the chin, forcing him off of Tim.

The young hero gasped weakly, coughs racking his body as he scrambled to his feet and made a beeline for the incline, this time using the bo staff as a support to get up to the dock. Jason recovered faster than he'd hoped and, as expected, continued in his pursuit. Tim managed to grip onto the side of the dock, pulling himself upward and onto it. For a moment, he couldn't get to his feet, continuously getting halfway up, then falling back down as his weakened practically numbed legs gave out on him. After a moment he scrambled to his feet and stumbled forward, only to collide with something, the faint click alerted Tim of the gun, but his reaction time was too slow.

The moment Tim ran into Jason, he grabbed up the front of hero's uniform, lifting him a few inches off the ground. The Hood was breathing heavily, blood dripping down his face in such a horrifying manner Tim couldn't help but shudder and turn away his head away.

"Not... bad..."

There was nothing Tim could do as Jason slowly raised the pistol, aimed then fired off a shot inches from his left ear, dropping Tim onto the dock. The noise was brief, but deafening, quickly replaced by a loud, high pitched, ringing. The disorienting ringing in his ears was relentless. His vision swam and his mind was fuzzy, all he could do was drag himself to his hands and knees before collapsing onto his side, unable to will himself to move. He screwed his eyes shut the moment he saw Jason's army boots approaching him, the gun still at his side.

I don't want to die... I don't want to...

Tim was dragged out of his mental panic by the distant sound of what he presumed to be a scuffle. Muffled gunshots rang out through the air, he knew that much, but he could barely hear them. He opened his eyes just enough to see a large black form mere feet from where he was crumpled on the dock, the retreating figure of Jason Todd the last thing he saw before his eyes slid shut again.

He did however, feel a pair of gentle hands lift him carefully from the cold dock. Instant warmth washed over him as whoever this was held him close. Tim felt as if he should know this person, as if he did. But his eyes were too heavy to open again. He knew he was safe from Jason now, he didn't know how and he didn't know why, but he knew he was. Even so the terror lingered. Tim knew Jason wouldn't stay away.

He couldn't.

His return was inevitable.

* * *

**Wayne Manor, Gotham City**

**Present Day, 1:32 AM**

* * *

 

"Tim?" A sleepy voice called out from the darkness, jolting Tim from his panicked thoughts. He remained firmly in place, his back pressed against the wall. He gave a small blink then turned his head sharply toward the voice, his posture tense and defensive.

"Chill. What're you doin' up? Are you okay?"

Relief flooded the boy's features as he watched the figure of his brother step into the soft glow of the hallway. Although, he had noticed he was absentmindedly rubbing his left ear. His older brother paused, his gaze sharp and concerned, but Tim watched it melt away into something else. Guilt.

"Ah.. Timmy.. I'm... I'm sorry... yeah?"

After a moment, Tim smiled softly and shook his head, his hand dropped from his ear.

"Don't apologize, Jason... It wasn't you."

Tim watched sadly as the young man remained where he was standing, keeping his distance. Tim knew Jason didn't mean anything that night. He was confused, angry... lost. And Tim knew that Robin carried all of Jason's frustration, anger and pain. His brother hadn't set out to kill him, to hurt him, it was just a desperate attempt to get help.

Slowly, Tim stepped forward, his compassionate gaze never leaving Jason's, inwardly grimacing at the regret and sadness sparkling in his eyes as his brother stepped away. There was a pause between the two, a long one. Almost awkward if it wasn't so sad. And then Tim broke the silence with a huff.

"Just let me hug you, damn it..." And with that Tim stepped forward, dragging his unwilling brother into a tight hug. He felt Jason tense, the knowledge that he probably wouldn't get a hug back didn't stop him from continuing his embrace. And then, after a moment, he felt gentle arms wrap around him. In that moment, Tim had come to his final conclusion.

Jason had done some shitty things. Like really awful stuff. He was an ass, sure. But he was his brother, and that night, that wasn't Jason. That was the Joker's creation, and it was destroyed by himself and Bruce. But this. This was his brother.

This was Jason Todd.

* * *

**A/N: Hey friends, hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading!**

**Reviews are my inspiration, so feel free to leave one if you liked or if you have requests!**

**Y'all are l i t. Kay bye.**


	2. Snow Day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce gets called into a meeting and leaves his four sons at home with Alfred... on a snow day. 
> 
> What could go wrong?

**Thanks for all the positive feedback on this story! I really appreciate it :)**

**After all that drama in the last chapter, I thought a lil fluff would be needed.**

**Dick: 21**

**Jason: 19**

**Tim: 16**

**Damien: 10**

* * *

**Wayne Manor**

**Gotham City**

* * *

"Sir... Master Bruce.."

A gentle but firm hand on Bruce's shoulder awoke him from his unexpected nap. The man's eyes opened slowly as he furrowed his eyebrows slightly, glancing over his shoulder at the man behind him. Alfred was standing with a cup of coffee in his free hand, his other rested on Bruce's shoulder.

"Thanks Alfred."

Silently, Bruce reached out and took the warm mug, remembering he hadn't yet changed out of his uniform. He had a long night, granted not the most dangerous. Penguin and his lackeys decided to stir up some trouble at the bank and the gem depository, one of his many... _many_  failed attempts at robbery the Batman had thwarted. Frankly it was often after fighting Penguin and his friends that tired Bruce out the most. They weren't that tough just stubborn and persistent, they were exhausting really. He was just lucky to get the strange man back to Arkham and off the streets.

"Do try and get to get  _some_  sleep, Master Bruce." Alfred commented and Bruce didn't miss the slight teasing tone in his voice.

"I'll do what I can." he retorted quietly, taking a small sip of the coffee as Alfred turned and began to remove several coffee mugs scattered about by the bat-computer.

"Then again, perhaps your substituting caffeine for sleep?" The elderly butler perked a brow when he noticed a few of the mugs on the floor, almost hidden under one of the computers.

"Not me." Bruce responded quietly, sipping once again at the coffee. Alfred didn't have to ask who the culprit was then, the realization dawned on him almost immediately. The mugs quickly piled up on the metal tray he carried in both hands and with an exasperated sigh, he turned and began to walk to the elevator.

"I'll be back for the rest..." he spoke quietly, eyeing the mountain of mugs on the tray in front of him and the ones that still remained scattered about various working areas in the cave.

Bruce shook his head quietly, rubbing his hand over his face. Tim was never one to shy away from hard work and late nights, but as soon as he was introduced to the limitless amount of coffee Alfred supplied him, he was hooked. It was a miracle if he went two hours without the drink. Bruce thought it'd be funny if it wasn't so concerning.

A buzzing noise from under a pile of case files snagged Bruce's attention and he quickly swept the papers neatly to the side and glanced to the phone underneath. He sighed quietly and picked it up, reading the message displayed on the screen.

_Where are you? Meeting starts in one hour._

"Shit.." Bruce quietly muttered, setting the mug down beside the keyboard carefully. One of the downsides of staying out late was the occasional work repercussions. Typically balancing his work as Batman and his life as Bruce Wayne came easily to him, but there were some days when it didn't and he'd find himself late for a meeting or two. This is one of those days. Slowly, he stood before moving to the elevator, his gaze sweeping up to Alfred who had returned from upstairs and now held a folded suit in his arms. An otherwise unnoticeable smile graced his lips as he nodded in thanks to the butler. One of the very few mysteries Bruce was unable to solve was how Alfred seemed to know everything.

"I thought I'd inform you of the cancellation of school, sir." Alfred handed over the clothes to Bruce, watching as the man walked past him and to the elevator.

"I should only be a little while then if the weather's bad." Bruce responded briskly. "Think you can handle them?"

Alfred perked a brow at Bruce before turning and moving to collect the rest of the coffee mugs.

"I'll do what I can." the butler responded in the same dry tone Bruce had used moments before. Bruce didn't bother responding, the smile remaining on his face as the doors to the elevator closed then opened again on the second floor. He knew Alfred could handle the boys, and they could handle themselves, they were all old enough. But it still didn't stop the strange concern he felt, perhaps an overprotectiveness. But he quickly shook it off, they were staying  _home_  not going out on patrol. Still.. they were rarely all stuck in the same place indoors at once, and they didn't always get along either... But Alfred was capable..

Then the doors opened.

_"GRAYSON!_ If you don't return that cereal to me immediately-!"

A cackle.

Then two figures flew right past his nose, one after the other. He identified one as his eldest.. still in his pajamas, a dark blue shirt and pajama pants, wearing only a pair of thin socks over his feet. The other was a fuming Damian, rolling pin in hand as he sprinted after the blue streak that was Dick. In Dick's hand was a box of sugary cereal which he held above his head while running from the ball of fury.

"No way, little buddy, this thing as  _wAaAaY_ too much sugar for a growing, precious angel like yoursel- OOF!"

Bruce stepped out of the elevator in time for Damian to leap up and ontop of Dick, the latter managing to keep his balance for a few moments before toppling over. Damian waved the rolling pin in front of his brother's face, eyes blazing with fury while Dick hugged the box to his chest, a goofy grin on his face.

"Give me the box now or  _die._ " he hissed. And somehow the idea of Damian killing someone over cereal didn't surprise him.

Bruce slowly glanced over to the kitchen table where Tim sat with a mug of coffee in his hands, watching with a blank, but almost exasperated expression while Jason sat across from him, cleaning a pistol while occasionally glancing over to watch with a smirk on his face.

"Yeah get him, you little gremlin." he called out, giving his own pistol a wave.

"Don't encourage him, Jay.." Tim reprimanded quietly, he took an almost nervous sip from the mug, his leg already bouncing up and down.

"What you think he's going to actually kill him?" Jason scoffed, leaning on the table. "It's a rolling pin not a sword."

Tim scrunched up his nose, clinging to the mug as he shrugged his shoulders.

"And yet somehow the idea of Damian killing someone over a box of cereal doesn't surprise me.."

"Shut up, Drake!" Damian snapped from where he was seated, effectively silencing the clearly irritated Tim.

Meanwhile Dick continued to laugh light-heartedly, smiling innocently at Damian.

"Well you won't be able to kill anyone if you end up with diabetes at twenty- oW!"

Bruce gave a small sigh as Damian whacked Dick hard on the shoulder with the rolling pin repeatedly, showing no signs of stopping. The man quietly stepped forward, gently grabbed Damian by the back of the shirt and pulled him off Dick, holding him in the air for a moment as the current Robin flailed his arms at his brother.

"Hey! Put me down!" Damian turned his attention to Bruce, scowling.

"Enough. No fighting." Bruce finally set Damian down.

"But he started it by robbing me!" The young Wayne shifted his attention and pointed to Dick who was still rubbing his sore shoulder with an amused grin.

"Damian, I said enough. Do I have to ground you from patrol for a week?"

"Again.." Tim coughed quietly, holding the coffee mug in front of his face as Jason gave a bark of laughter.

Damian whipped around, eyes alight with fury.

"Care to repeat that, Drake?" he snapped viciously, taking a step forward as Tim smiled innocently. Bruce placed a firm hand on his son's shoulder, pulling him back slightly.

"How come he never gets in trouble like I do!" Damian scowled and pointed to Tim.

"Because I'm not a homicidal lunatic."

"You want to see a homicidal lunatic, huh?!" Damian waved the rolling pin and tried to approach again only for Bruce to grab it and the back of Damian's shirt once again.

"No matter what I do, I'm always the one to get in trouble!" The boy continued, his gaze glued onto Tim's. "And when he does something wrong, it's brushed aside!"

"Suffer."

" _DRAKE!"_

Bruce placed both hands on Damian's shoulders now.

" _Both_ of you. I said enough." Bruce snapped suddenly, basking in the momentary silence that fell over the room. His gaze shifted to person to person, before he let go of Damian and sighed.

"I'm going to a meeting, Alfred's in charge and I expect you won't give him any trouble. Understand?" He made his way in the direction of the stairs quietly.

Damian grumbled to himself but responded only with a curt nod. Dick and Tim both exchanged a glance before nodding while Jason continued to clean the pistol, not giving any sort of reaction.

"That applies to you too, Jason."

The only response from the preoccupied man was a singular middle finger before he went back to fiddling with the gun.

"Glad we're all on the same page..." Bruce sighed as he headed up the stairs. "Don't kill each other."

"What about Drake?"

"Wh-"

"No."

" _Fine.."_

* * *

Cold air whipped at Dick's face as he remained perched on the snowy bank, vigilant eyes staring out at the vast snow-covered landscape. His breathing was quiet, his posture tense. He didn't know how long he was crouched there or how much longer he had to remain hidden, he just knew he was waiting for the first strike. A head poked up beside him, peering over the snow bank as well.

"Stay down, Damian..." Dick quietly muttered, his eyes never leaving the landscape before him.

And then suddenly, movement from behind one of the trees, it was brief and subtle. Anyone else probably wouldn't have seen it.

"Right there, Grayson." Damian spoke up, having neglected Dick's request to stay concealed.

"I saw.."

Slowly, Dick slipped down behind the snow bank, gesturing for Damian to follow his lead. The young boy did so, narrowing his eyes slightly and Dick couldn't help giving a small smile. His little brother looked so... unintimidating at that moment, all wrapped up in a snow coat almost a bit too big for him, the hood pulled up dramatically over his head.

"Here's the plan... we let them make the first move, okay?"

Damian nodded quietly, narrowing his eyes slightly as he peered back over the snowbank, eyeing the treeline. Then suddenly the quiet crunching of snow from behind them and a menacing voice.

"We'll make the first move alright."

Dick barely had time to turn around before something cold and hard connected with his chest, sending him reeling into the snowbank. Damian, however, was hit hard in the back of the head. He gave a cry of rage and whipped around, standing up.

"You'll pay for thA-"

He was cut off by another object straight to the face, sending him flying back to the ground, snow flying upward as he hit the ground. The sound of laughter filled Dick's ears as he sat up, grinning at his other two brothers who high-fived each other, a snowball in each of their hands.

"Sorry, Damian, care to say that again?" Tim teased with a mocking grin.

Dick stared at the pair, beside Tim stood Jason, one hand on his hip while the other tossed a snowball up and down in the air, preparing to throw it. He quickly sprang to the side, narrowly dodging the icy weapon and glanced back to Damian who was scrambling to his feet, grabbing up a literal armful of snow.

"You're  _DEAD,_ Drake!"

"Eep-!"

Jason himself leapt after Dick as Damian practically threw himself at Tim, the latter giving a startled yelp and scrambling away from the baby assassin.

"Sorry to ruin your plans, Dickie." Jason grinned, grabbing up another handful of snow and forming it carefully into a ball. Meanwhile, Dick had rolled to the other side of the snowbank, crouching behind it, just out of Jason's sight. The acrobat smiled deviously to himself, scooping up his own handful of snow before leaping up onto the bank, using it to shove himself up and into the air to flip right over Jason.

"Who said it's ruined?"

He landed gracefully behind his brother, pulling back the hood on his coat to dump the handful of snow right down his shirt.

" _Shit!"_ Jason scowled and whirled around, spinning frantically before tripping over his own feet and landing hard into the snowbank as Dick laughed hysterically, taking a few steps back.

"Gotcha." Dick flashed a smile and a pair of goofy hand guns. "See Dami, you just gotta- oh."

The boy was missing, as was Tim. Not good.

"jEsuS-"

Dick perked up at the sound of a distressed shout, peering over the snowbank to see a cursing Damian literally dragging Tim by the ankles through the snow.

"Damian-!"

Dick leapt up to intervene, only to be grabbed by the leg and yanked downward by the still grumbling Jason.

"Hey hold on a minute, can't we just talk about this-!" he broke off with a squeal as Jason shoved a handful of snow down his shirt, but he didn't stop there. He held Dick in place and continued to mercilessly shovel handful after handful of snow into his jacket.

"Little shit-" Jason scowled, continuing his icy attack on his brother.

Dick flailed comedically in an attempt to escape from his snowy fate, but to no avail. In fact the only thing that even slowed Jason down was the sound of pounding footsteps in the snow and a startled scream.

"The fuck?" Dick heard Jason grumble then watched as he peered over the top of the snow bank just in time for Tim to fly into the pair, knocking them all into the snow. Tim groaned as he stayed right where he had fallen, sprawled on top of both Jason and Dick. The eldest of the brothers slowly sat up, forcing Tim to roll off of them and into the snow. He tossed him a glance before looking back up over the mound of snow and ice.

Damian stood a few feet away, breathing heavily, before he slowly began to advance on the trio.

"Damian- hold on. We're on the same team here."

"The hell do you think you're doing, you little cretin?"

"Wait...Damian, don'T-!"

Dick watched helpless as Damian leapt up into the air, right over the snow bank and landed on top of all three of them, effectively winding all of them. Jason let out a colorful stream of strained curses, the weight on Dick dissipating as Jason grabbed Damian by the hood and shoved him away from them. For a moment they all remained on the ground, Damian the only one to sit up and toss an arrogant smile their way.

"I win."

Tim groaned from underneath Jason.

"Kill me.."

Damian stood slowly and cracked his knuckles.

"Finally."

"Hey wait-"

* * *

Alfred had left the boys up to their own devices the moment Bruce had left. In truth, he assumed they could all take care of and entertain themselves, his job was just to keep them from killing each other. And by how quiet everything was in the house, he assumed he was successful. At least he was able to do the dishes in peace.

Granted he had seen the four of them outside an hour before, screaming and chasing each other around like maniacs and he wasn't quite sure if he was meant to intervene or not. So he stayed out of it and let them have their fun, which ended up to be a good decision on his part. They had all returned inside shortly after their snowball war, each and every one of them covered in snow and ice.

The snacks and hot chocolate he was preparing for them went mostly undisturbed as well. Normally Dick or Jason, sometimes both, would sneak into the kitchen while he was making up meals and steal various bits of food before he brought them out. He assumed they had gotten themselves tired out as all the food was accounted for.

The butler carefully arranged some cookies and mugs of hot chocolate then moved from the kitchen to the den where he knew the four would be. But the sight he walked in on was not one he had initially expected.

All four of them were asleep in generally the same area. Dick was passed out on the couch, wrapped up in a blanket with Damian dozing quite literally on top of him, while Jason had fallen asleep sitting up, his head resting in his hand where he had leaned on the arm of the couch. Tim himself was in a nearby chair, curled up and practically covered head to toe in a massive fluffy blanket, a mug of coffee sitting on the table beside him.

Alfred watched for a moment, a very small smile crossing his face as he set the tray down on an end table and turned to quietly walk back into the kitchen, letting his family sleep in peace.

* * *

**A/N: Hey freeeens, hope you enjoyed this! Again if you have any requests, just shoot me a DM and I'd love to write it up!**

**:)**


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